hold against

phrasal verb

held against; holding against; holds against

: to use (something) as a reason to have a bad opinion of (someone)

He lied to her once, and she still holds it against him.

Nobody is going to hold it against you if you don't come.

Examples of hold against in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web For seventh-round receiver Tahj Washington, the size (5-10, 174 pounds) and mediocre 40-time (4.51) were held against him, despite high-volume production at Southern Cal, including a Pac-12 leading 18.0 yards per catch last season. —

Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 10 May 2024 The identities of students who sign the letter will be kept confidential and not be held against them during their academic career, Jennifer Calhoun, associate vice provost for student affairs, student living and community standards, wrote in the letter. —

Lilly Price, Baltimore Sun, 8 May 2024 The Dolphins’ picks are very much aware of what was held against them in the draft process. —

Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 10 May 2024 The man told investigators that he had been kidnapped and held against his will on Feb. 13 in the 2600 block of Million Court before eventually being released. —

Nollyanne Delacruz, The Mercury News, 18 Apr. 2024 The years-long grudge the swans hold against their former friend devolves into a P.R. war to be won by whoever seems the least pathetic. —

Inkoo Kang, The New Yorker, 1 Feb. 2024 Fox was the former owner of the home, where Cuevas-Ingram was allegedly held against her will, tortured and killed, Sanguedolce said. —

Kc Baker, Peoplemag, 10 Apr. 2024 Here's how to say goodbye The woman who was held against her will was treated at the hospital for injuries that were not life-threatening, police said, adding she was not injured during the shootout with officers. —

Jose R. Gonzalez, The Arizona Republic, 26 Mar. 2024 The device hooks onto a rifle’s stock, the part of the gun that is held against the shoulder, and harnesses the energy from the gun’s kickback to bump the stock back and forth, allowing the weapon to fire faster. —

Abbie Vansickle, New York Times, 28 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hold against.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.